The Department of English at Western Illinois University


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  • Finding Myself in the Internet’s Hometown Hero – MICO
    Feature

    Finding Myself in the Internet’s Hometown Hero – MICO

    Lauren Bell
    Feb 25, 2026

    Music is really able to connect with people in multiple ways. Some people may use music to study, others may use it…

  • Becoming the Predator: Rite and Restraint in Badlands
    Review

    Becoming the Predator: Rite and Restraint in Badlands

    Daniel Baugh
    Feb 24, 2026

    In early January, I found myself counting down the hours before I would be able to watch the latest entry in the…

  • Not a Rollercoaster Ride
    Review

    Not a Rollercoaster Ride

    Shaylie Muehl
    Feb 23, 2026

    A review of Less than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. Vintage Contemporaries, 1985. In Bret Easton Ellis’s novel, Less than Zero, set…

  • Unpacking My Library: Shaylie Muehl
    Unpacking My Library

    Unpacking My Library: Shaylie Muehl

    McKenna Schillinger
    Feb 20, 2026

    Shaylie Muehl is a junior at Western Illinois University, majoring in Professional Writing and minoring in Communications. M&L: What genre makes up…

  • What’s Your Bag? w/ Dr. Roberta Di Carmine
    What’s Your Bag

    What’s Your Bag? w/ Dr. Roberta Di Carmine

    Taylor Whitmore
    Feb 19, 2026

    M&L: What’s your bag? RD:  I bought this bag from my favorite store, T.J. Maxx! I enjoy visiting the store in Macomb…

  • When Passion turns Obsessive
    Review

    When Passion turns Obsessive

    Shaylie Muehl
    Feb 18, 2026

    A review of The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel. Random House, 2023. Michael Finkel’s latest non-fiction novel, The Art Thief (2023), takes…

  • What’s Your Bag? w/ Dr. Alisha White
    What’s Your Bag

    What’s Your Bag? w/ Dr. Alisha White

    Taylor Whitmore
    Feb 17, 2026

    M&L: What’s your bag? AW: My red handbag is a great find from a secondhand shop. I love a cross-body bag that…

  • Sunglasses, Psychedelics, and The Morality Test
    Review

    Sunglasses, Psychedelics, and The Morality Test

    Carter L Myers
    Feb 16, 2026

    A review of Less than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. Vintage Contemporaries, 1985. “All it comes down to is that I’m a…

  • Critically Acclaimed Fanfiction: Guillermo del Toro’s Autobiography Through Frankenstein
    Review

    Critically Acclaimed Fanfiction: Guillermo del Toro’s Autobiography Through Frankenstein

    Cecilia Garcia
    Feb 13, 2026

    Art of any kind has a greater impact when it feels personal. If a movie, poem, melody, or novel captures a moment…

  • Everyday English Minors: Lauren Bell
    Everyday English Majors

    Everyday English Minors: Lauren Bell

    Lauren Bell
    Feb 12, 2026

    Lauren Bell is a current undergraduate student at Western Illinois University, majoring in Speech Pathology & Audiology and minoring in Creative Writing.…

  • The Muppets: Get Back… Again
    Review

    The Muppets: Get Back… Again

    Carter L Myers
    Feb 11, 2026

    A review of The Muppet Show (2026), directed by Alex Timbers. ABC and Disney+, 2026. “We’re doing the show again, frog!” -Rowlf,…

  • Character Controversy: Severus Snape
    Feature

    Character Controversy: Severus Snape

    kishiblue
    Feb 10, 2026

    When an author suggests that a character is “morally grey,” they imply an ambiguity in the moral motivation behind the cruel and…

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The Mirror & the Lamp


The Mirror & the Lamp, since our first publication in 2014, has always been managed by a small team of passionate and dedicated English students. These students, with varying backgrounds and identities, hold one goal in mind for The Mirror & the Lamp; to document the lives and experiences of those involved with the English Department here at Western Illinois University. Our non-fiction features writing style highlights the individuality of our authors, setting The Mirror and the Lamp apart from the strictly journalistic style of Western’s student-run newspaper, the Western Courier, and the focus on creative works in Western’s literary magazine, Elements. See our WIU webpage at The Mirror and the Lamp for more information.

 1 University Cir, Macomb, IL 61455

Latest Articles

  • Finding Myself in the Internet’s Hometown Hero – MICO

    Finding Myself in the Internet’s Hometown Hero – MICO

    Feb 25, 2026
  • Becoming the Predator: Rite and Restraint in Badlands

    Becoming the Predator: Rite and Restraint in Badlands

    Feb 24, 2026
  • Not a Rollercoaster Ride

    Not a Rollercoaster Ride

    Feb 23, 2026

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